Stosh

The lesson taught with individual scout accounts is: You fundraise for the benefit of yourself. By using the tax-exempt status of your CO, one is in fact drawing that into question. What's to say a parent makes a $1000 donation designated "donation" to the troop for their son so he can go to Philmont? They get a tax write-off and the money stays in the family. That's money laundering. If boys wish to have individual scout accounts, go down to the bank and open an account. That way, 100% of the proceeds for their walk shoveling, lawn mowing, garden tilling, paper route activities goes right into their accounts! And not only that, it is all above board legal! I find nothing wrong with the sales pitch to the prospective customer, "I am a Boy Scout raising money so I can go to summer camp. Do you need your lawn mowed?" He is making it very clear that the proceeds are going to him and not to his troop. Troop fundraising money goes to the troop. That's why they call it a troop fundraiser and people contribute under that expectation. Stosh

I think this kind of thing goes on occasionally, rare, but occasionally. I have mentioned before that I used to go out for dinner before every scout meeting night because I was hard pressed to get to work and then to the meeting. My girlfriend and I were eating at a Chinese buffet and being in a hurry to get to scouts, I asked for the check. The waitress told me that someone else had "picked up the check". I asked who it might be and she indicated a young family with two small kids in a booth. I had no idea who they were, but I went over, introduced myself and suggested that because I was wearing a uniform they might have mistaken me for a military serviceman. They said they were fully aware I was a Boy Scout leader and were appreciative of all that I do for the youth of the community. The word "shock" doesn't seem to be descriptive enough, "floored" and "stunned" also fit in. Maybe it's a combination of all three. Stosh

Yep, it speaks to the hypocrisy of the process. Stosh

All the hats were "stiff" when they were issued. A few weeks of sweat and rain pretty much knocks the stiffness out and the hat becomes "broken in". No soldier in the field has time to repress his hat into a nice flat brimmed original, nor are they running around with plastic diaper covers over the hat either. I'm thinking the average soldier has a lot more to worry about than whether or not the brim is nice and flat. Over time, the hat pretty much takes on a life of its own. Eventually when the hat wore out, it was simply replaced and they started the whole process all over again. Stosh

The early scouts did not have uniforms and they as chartered by Congress, allowed to wear US Army uniforms. Military clothing is designed to take a punishment from the elements. Eventually they began to drift apart in appearance, i.e. BSA buttons, etc, and eventually they dropped the Army uniform. Sea Scouts however, did not. The M1911 IS the BSA hat in that it was the US Army hat at the time the BSA formed. Once the US Army dropped the campaign hat, they went to the garrison hat, so did BSA. The Vietnam era ushered in the Army beret, BSA followed. See any BSA troops wearing boonies?, camo pants? But of course BSA wishes no one to think that BSA is a para-military organization, thus the terms uniform, salute, rank, scout, troop, patrol, QM, etc have all dropped from usage in today's BSA organization. Stosh

Having worked with youth for 40+ years, I have never viewed YPT as protecting youth. I know how I react around youth. I see it as ADULT protection training because I have no idea how youth will react around me. If it ever comes down to your word against an 8 year old, you automatically lose. Stosh

A lot of such challenges are often misunderstood or what we do is counterproductive to what the boy needs. My son has ADD and is very intelligent. When he was in grade school, he was quite a handful. The school was an open concept school and while the teacher in his grade was having difficulty with him, he was in deed paying attention...to the more interesting topic 2 pods over. He could better concentrate if he had something in his hands as well, and it was a major battle with the school but we finally after two doctors' affidavits allow him to have hand manipulatives. That means he "played" with something in his hands because it allowed him to concentrate on what the teacher was saying. It looked like he was playing with something, but he was using it to concentrate. It didn't make any sense to me, but it did help him a lot. None of the kids I have worked with over the past 40 years were the same. The ability to adapt to each person is an art-form. Some of us do it better than others, but to think that one is ever going to get everyone on the same page at the same time is a pipe-dream. Once one realizes that, life gets a lot easier. As far as this Cub Scout is concerned, he is there. If he picks up 10% of what is going on, that means he got 10% more than if he had stayed at home. Never underestimate the little things! Stosh

Granted, the time period equals that of WWI, one must remember that the Punitive Expedition was a cavalry operation. The dough boys of WWI were infantry in trenches. If one were to peak up out of a trench, the helmet was the cover of choice. When riding a horse, the infantry helmet was of little protection. The wide brim of the campaign hat at least protected against the sun's rays of the desert southwest. I'm thinking the steel of the helmet and the heat generated by the sun would have made the helmet obsolete very quickly. Stosh

I'm with Barry on this one. Unless you have a vision and willing to go for it, the kids aren't going to even know what a vision is. Whenever the Mrs. and I head out for whatever road trip/adventure we make up, we always take pictures of what's going on. That way when I ask the boys back at the next troop meeting what they did last weekend and they say nuttin'. I haul out my cell phone and do the "wanna see my grandkids" kind of routine. Only my "grandkids" are vista views, whitewater kayaking, camping on sandbars, winter camping/skiing, museums, etc. etc. After all is said and done, I always top off with, "Too bad you missed it. Maybe next time." Within 5 minutes I prime the pump with, "Well, Gentlemen, what do you want to do this month?" Stosh

Reveille. I tell my boys I can't fall asleep very well. I also let them know I'm up at 5:00 am. If I wake up grumpy, so do they. I also discuss not only physical pollution, but also light and sound pollution. LNT means don't be scaring every living thing within 5 miles of camp. My boys generally are pretty good about lights out and respect those scouts, including SM that retires early. If the boys do wake me up and I have to "yell" at them, it's pretty much everything I taught goes out the window. If some of the older boys are sitting around the campfire and I want to turn in, I just get a commitment from them to keep the noise down and make sure the fire is out before they head to bed. It's never been a problem in the 30 years of camping. Stosh

I don't have to look at BSA's budget to know that what Mickey gives to them is pittance compared to their overall corporate budget. It might be a small thing to Mickey, but taking the ball and going home because they don't like the makeup of the team is a rather small attitude, but hey, It's a Small World After All. It's their ball, they can do whatever they want with it. Stosh

Adults do their own thing. I love to cook so I don't mind doing adult patrol cooking. When necessary I cook out of my mess kit. I kinda enjoy that now and then. Boys are "kept at a distance" from the adults, but during food prep, we let them sneak a peak at what's being served so they can improve their skills. If the wind is blowing just right, we take full advantage of it. Stosh

Historically the hats were sprayed/painted/soaked with shellac to hold their shape as best they could. It also added a bit of waterproofing. Eventually the guys just gave up unless it was for parade. They were issued only one dress uniform (unless you were the Iron Brigade who fought in the dress uniform). The field uniform was replaced ever 3-4 months, but the bummer cap wasn't necessarily an impressive piece of uniform. Men liked it because it held a lot of foraged food. By the time WWI rolled around the slouch hat of the Span Am war was replaced with the campaign hat, but in the field on the front line, the helmet was worn. The campaign hat was more comfortable, and wore out pretty quickly. They never looked spit and polish except maybe for the first hour or two. In a heavy rain, even less. One never sees the campaign hat on campaign, helmets were the cover of choice. Stosh

Do any of the troops still teach and use mess kit cooking skills? I know that troop-method troops have large kitchen/trailer setups, patrol-method have their dutch ovens and small stoves, but are there any yet using/cooking in mess kits? Stosh

If they miss the cut-off, they can still go, but they need to line up their own meals and travel arrangements. A lack of planing on one person's part is not an emergency for everyone else. Going with one's own food is not a big problem. I do it all the time. If the weekend has rotating 2nd adult, I just bring my own food. If two adults are going, we just figure out that one buys the food and the other cooks it and we split the cost. I don't mooch off the patrols for meals unless explicitly invited and then I'll offer to pay my fair share. I haven't starved to death yet. As a matter of fact, I generally eat better than the boys, so it's no hardship for me. I grew up in an era of mess kit cooking, so it works out nicely. Stosh

Character is who you are when no one is looking.

Yeah, but they got national press for their pittance matching funding for Boy Scouts. They aren't interested in nothing more than making a political statement. But they give to the USGSA which makes them sexists. Don'tcha just love politics. Need a tear-jerk reaction? Just think of all those poor blacks and Hispanics that won't be able to do scouting now that Mickey has spoken from on high. I'm sure the 99% love this kind of stuff even though 99% of us can't afford their Disney World/Land prices. Stosh

EXACTLY my point. It's none of BSA's business what Mickey does. But Mickey has chosen to make it everyone's business by running around making a big political brewha about it. Simply take the BSA off the list and let it go at that. People have a right to decide where their money goes. If Mickey's employees want to give to the BSA they can. Obviously Mickey isn't interested in giving to charity, they are interested in only certain charities, and that's their prerogative. My company doesn't contribute to BSA, but they don't give to anyone for that matter. At least they are being fair. Stosh

It's not an issue of what you and I think, it's an issue of what the group stands for. Why in the world would anyone want to join a group they don't believe in. I have no intention of ever joining the KKK for obvious reasons, I have no intention of joining AARP no matter how old I get, I'm not joining any veterans' groups because I'm not a veteran, and if Trail Life wants to have their own Christ-centric outdoor group, knock yourself out, but I'm not interested even if I am a conservative Christian. Why would I ever want to join a group whose principles differ than mine? Well, unless I just want to make some kind of political stink. My mamma taught me that there are a lot of times in life where MYOB does make life better for everyone. Have I walked away from a group that changes it's rules in the middle of the stream? Yep, many times. I have better things to do than argue politics which for the most part accomplish nothing in the long run. It used to be women, politics and religion were not discussed in polite society. For the most part people have their minds made up long before the first word is ever spoken. Stosh

The US Army has been making felt hats that were not crushable for years. Civil War Era - Jefferson army hat (Black Hat) dress uniform with frock coat, field uniform was a sack coat and a wool bummer cap (baseball style, kepi) WWI - Dress uniform had the campaign hat, in the field it was replaced by a helmet. Retained for dress until WW II. The problem lies in the fact that the BSA does not have a dress uniform, it is called the field uniform and regardless of what one wishes, it is NOT a dress uniform. Pretty it up for formal occasions, but the Marine BDU's will never look as nice as the dress blues. Stosh

The Law states a Scout is Reverent. It doesn't say he has to be political. And if one believes it is okay to be homosexual, then that's fine, join a group that allows for that. Obviously there are other religious groups that allow for that, thus the many different religions. If God made me a kleptomaniac, does that mean everyone around me has to accept me for who I am or are they going to persecute me? Probably lock me up in a heartbeat. I'm not deaf so I am not ever going to join a deaf group. I'm not Roman Catholic, so don't hang around there, either. I'm not female so the professional woman's group where I work isn't attended by me. etc. etc. Some how I find it rather strange for me to march into someone else's group and demand they accept me into their group when I don't have the same interests, objectives, morals that they have. I have better things to do with my time. Others don't. Stosh

All of our district recognition dinners, Golden Eagle Dinner, and a number of other district/council events are served in an alcohol served setting. Scouters who wish to drink come without uniform so they think they aren't noticed. The only non-alcoholic event is the council recognition dinner because the Eagle scouts are recognized at that event. They wouldn't want their double standard to be so evident in front of the Eagle scouts. Stosh

The hypocrisy of politics comes into play when one group can dictate demands on another while making sure that group can't dictate any demands on them. Or in the case of the majority of those groups, simply want to be left alone. Push them far enough they will defend themselves and then the first group will cry foul! By the way, both intolerant sides work this way. Stosh

I've been lurking/watching this post for a while But I'm amazed at the comments. So the European and Canadians wear a hat with the dimple in front - but there are those who think it's wrong. Gotta love the Ugly Americans... Ever consider if everyone else has a dimple in the front except the American, it might be the Americans are doing it wrong? History of the Campaign Hat The current drill sergeant hat evolved from the 1883 campaign hat to the present day modified Montana Peak, which was adopted for wear by the army in 1911 and abandoned in 1942. In 1964 the hat was reintroduced to become a proud symbol of the drill sergeant. Notice, the military hat is the present day MODIFIED Montana Peak. Unless steam altered, the hats are basically round, whereas most heads aren't. If you don't believe me put a right sized bowl on your head and the pressure points will be in the front and back. The reason they are difficult to wear with the highly chemicaled, "sheet steel" brims is because of this. Take any hat with a full brim. Gently pull the inside front to back creating an oval shape, to which will more comfortably conform to most people's heads. Voila, the brim will naturally dip in the front and back. This is why 95% of the hats look this way eventually after being worn. It's called "breaking it in", kinda like hiking boots. Repress the brim and the hat goes back to round and one can start the painful processing the hat to a natural fit all over again. Repeat until you give up on wearing such an uncomfortable hat. I have a campaign hat that is comfortable, The brim is not "floppy" but maintains a nice dip in the front and back. If one wants a flat brimmed hat, one needs to recreate an oval on the inside of the round hat. That means buying a bigger hat and padding the sides. Now, if one wants to really put in a few dollars, one needs to go to a professional hatter and have the hat reformed with steam. One can create an oval hat with flat brim, but if the hat is not made that way to begin with it might be difficult depending on how oval is your head is. US Military and Law Enforcement may require a flat brim, but BSA is neither. They also have the $$'s to make sure they fit in the first place in order to maintain a flat brim. http://www.qmuniforms.com/campaign-u...ium=cse&ut m_term=HW795_BLK_712&src=QU3064&utm_medium =cse&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Quarte rMaster_PLA&utm_content=sL7qp2QlT|pcrid|246830 96679|pkw||pmt|&gclid=CKqNiImM9LwCFQ1o7AodfwUA XQ Notice the hat looks large for the man's head. There's a reason for that. (see above) You can compensate for the oval head by not putting it on fully and tilting it forward, secured by the strap. One sees modern DI and LE doing that. http://www.qmuniforms.com/carrier-ca...FUxp7AodaTkA8A Under the FAQ section this product only maintains the hat, no guarantee if the brim bends. http://www.strattonhats.com/products...Campaign-Style is the only site that comes up with not only size options, but SHAPE options: Regular Oval, Long Oval, Extra Long Oval, and Wide Oval. If one wants a comfortable hat that keeps it shape it looks like you're going to have to pay for it. Any campaign hat that has a flat brim is either brand new or only slightly worn. If left to its own, the brim will bend naturally. Stosh

Just another secular/political/social organization trying to dictate the standards of someone's religious tenets. Our forefathers left Europe along with millions of other parts of the world to get away from such activity. When will the world learn, dictating religion of any faith just doesn't work. BSA is a religious (A Scout is Reverent) organization. Not just one religion, but all religions. Now if you are not religious, so be it. Start an outdoor program that has only 11 Laws, but don't dictate to those who would like 12. Stosh